Hey everyone!
So, it's been a while, sorry. The last couple of months have been crazy, so I didn't have time to update this story.
Thank you so much for your patience!
I'm looking forward to read your thoughts on this chapter.
Disclaimer: None of these characters belong to me.
Chapter 4
The siren
He stood still in front of the mirror, watching his own reflection stare back at him. The sound of the running water filled the bathroom, droplets fell from his bangs. The man staring back at him looked well rested, he even glowed, but his eyes were confused and frightened. This whole situation triggered a deep fear and it mainly involved the woman that waited for him in the living room. He looked at his hands, the memory of a sword coming out of his left one still felt surreal.
There were a lot of unanswered questions, but some things were crystal clear. Magic exists, and a sceptic like him can now accept that fate is real.
Sakura possesses the ability to heal herself or others when she sings and he is capable of conjuring magic as well, the sword that still lied in the living room was proof of it. Somehow, they found each other exactly when it was needed. There is a group of cloaked people after Sakura's power and, somehow, his nightmares are connected to this whole situation.
Those chunks of information, though hard to swallow, were undeniable. But the unanswered questions still lingered, making his mind heavy although his body was in perfect condition. He splashed his face again with cold water, he needed to get it together.
He took a last glance at the mirror while he closed the faucet "it doesn't matter if I don't understand any of this. I will protect her". His mind set and his main goal clear, he took a hand towel, dried his face, and stepped out of the bathroom.
Sakura was absentmindedly touching her throat, the events sinking in. The lights were still off, they both seemed to agree to lay low, and it wasn't convenient to have lights indicating the flat was still occupied. She heard the running water come to a stop and straightened up her posture. She felt lost, scared and confused. But she didn't want to worry him. She wondered if it would be best to part ways, after all, one thing was clear: those men would come back for her, wherever she was. She couldn't drag him into this.
The moment the bathroom door opened she received him with a subtle smile. She couldn't help to feel lightheaded when she looked into his deep eyes.
"How are you doing?" They asked at the same time and laughed at their synchronicity.
"Are you a mind reader now?" He asked teasingly, a smirk gracing his features, the mood changing drastically. She answered back playfully.
"Maybe. You better have your thoughts under control, mister Li Syaoran" his eyes relaxed and warmed at this light exchange, after everything that had happened, they both needed desperately some relief.
"I better be careful then" she giggled and he smiled in response. He could see how she literally glowed when she felt happy and that light made the whole place feel warmer. Suddenly he felt how everything around turned cold as her happy glow faded, she looked troubled and lowered her gaze. He bit his lip intuiting what she wanted to say before she even opened her mouth.
"See, Li… I've been thinking".
"Don't" he said as he took a step closer to her, she looked up, startled by the closing distance between them, her stomach fluttering. "If you tell me you don't want me by your side I'll understand. I promise I won't be a burden to you. Just, please don't send me away until I know you're safe" he paused, looking sad and pained. She could feel her eyes filling with tears "if it's your desire, once this is over, I'll just dissap…" before he could finish, he was cut off by the surprise he felt when her arms wrapped tightly around him, her face buried in his chest. He could hear her weeping, her body shaking. He surrounded her with his arms trying to comfort her, his shaky hands gently stroking her hair.
"I just don't want to put you in danger" she managed to say between sobs. He breathed in, his eyes watering.
"I understand. But this is bigger than me. I just can't walk away without knowing you'd be alright" he took her chin between his thumb and index and gently lifted her face from his chest. When their eyes met, he felt his heart skip a beat. She gulped and felt her knees weaken.
There, in the middle of the slim lighted room, they could clearly see each other's eyes. Syaoran forgot what he was going to say and felt a magnetic pull towards her. He couldn't fight it, like gravity. She slowly closed her eyes, craving to feel his lips on hers. Not feeling the excitement of a new infatuation, but a longing that had been dormant all her life. He watched how she closed her eyes and did so as well. He felt this yearning was beyond physical, his soul craved for her, for her closeness, for her touch.
"I missed you, Sakura '' he whispered inexplicably, her name on his lips hypnotized her. His voice husky with urgency. His tone, putting all logic to rest. There they were, needing each other, beyond logic and physicality. They both needed to quench their thirsty souls.
They heard a knock on the door and froze alarmed. When they opened their eyes, they were so close that it was easy to feel the soft caress of their breaths on their skin, they stood there immobile when a voice called from the other side of the door.
"Sakura? Are you home?".
"Its Yukito" she said, her voice thin and shaky. Syaoran gulped audibly. Both of them coming out of the trance they've been in. Nervousness taking over at the realization of extreme closeness. Their faces flared up but their bodies seemed reluctant to let go of each other. "I think I should…"
"Yes…" he said awkwardly while undoing the embrace, missing her warmth immediately. She hesitantly walked away from him; she felt her face hot while her thoughts ran wild 'what was that?' she thought of past relationships or flings, she couldn't remember feeling anything like this.
'A soulmate'. She remembered when her mom talked about this. Her mom would tell her that a soulmate wasn't someone that completed you in a cosmic kind of way. It was not like finding that missing piece that fit perfectly with you. The memory came vividly to Sakura's mind 'A real soulmate is someone that would make you feel like part of something bigger, as if with that personsomething entirely new was created. Something big and great enough that could embrace the wholeness of each one of you'.
He watched her walk towards the entrance and cautiously look through the eyehole on the door. His mind was racing, his nerves were on fire. This whole experience was nothing like he had ever experienced before. He remembered he'd think of her as his dream girl earlier. He now realized how mistaken he was. She was not some childish fantasy, she was what made his everything come into focus, the world was now sharp. It was as if he was now using glasses, he didn´t knew he needed.
He'd read of sympathetic resonance in pianos and string instruments, that phenomenon in which a passive string responds to external vibrations to which it has a harmonic likeness. He'd been told that humans could experience something like that, but he didn't clearly know what that meant, or felt like. Until now. It was as if his heart resonated with her.
Once she verified Yukito was standing at the other side of the door she opened the door slowly.
"Hi, Sakura'' he said smiling, trying to appear relaxed but the voice came out somehow tense "everything ok?". His eyes wandered the dark space. He'd known Sakura Kinomoto since she was five years old, and he knew she was scared of the dark even as a grown up. He eyed her carefully, he could feel there was something different about her.
"Hi… yes, why?" A loud noise came from inside the apartment, the grey-haired man searched for the source of the sound as a reflex action as Sakura tensed. His eyes widened when he noticed the silhouette of what was evidently a man's shape, he noticed the silver reflection of a sword blade laying in the floor and his eyes darkened.
"Nothing… I was allowed to take with me some baked goods from work. I know how much you enjoy them, so I decided to drop by and give you some" Sakura looked at him nervous, she was worried he'd seen Syaoran but this feeling was quickly dissipated when she sensed the change in his mood, the energy she felt from him made her feel… sad.
"Thank you so much Yukito" she said while taking the pastries, trying not to invade his private thoughts and emotions, but his aura was clear for her to read. Now that she knew that it was not only Syaoran's aura that she could feel, she felt as if she was prying.
"Now I'll leave you be. Seems like you had a long day" he said in a pensive way that sounded alien to Sakura's ears. She wanted to tell him everything, but she knew that she'd put him in danger too. It was already too bad to have Syaoran's safety compromised. "Hey, Sakura. Whatever you decide or wherever you choose to go. Call me and let me know, please" her jaw dropped and she tried to find words that wouldn't come. She just managed to nod. He smiled weakly and with a last look to the shadow in his friend's apartment he took off.
Sakura closed the door confused, still feeling the heavy blue aura of Yukito "it's almost as if… he knew" she tried to shake the thought out of her mind. Syaoran could sense she was troubled, he noticed how important the man called Yukito was to her.
He remembered how, just some minutes ago the sword slipped from his hand and fell to the floor. That moment when Yukito's eyes searched the room and found him there, in the shadows. Their eyes met and Syaoran felt a weird, tingling sensation as he stared into the honey brown eyes, his heart accelerating. He was absolutely sure that Yukito had seen the sword. He was prepared to see surprise, fear, or protectiveness from the man standing in the door… but instead he looked sad. This was another question that would have to add to the ever-growing list of things to understand. For now, they had much more pressing matters.
"I think we better get going to my gym… my place, I hope they can't find you there… as easily" he said knowing time was precious, they needed to get moving before they were found again. He knew that they would eventually find her. He couldn't predict their next move, now he knew they could use magic. 'But so can I…' he thought as he clenched his fists while looking at her. She seemed absorbed by her own thoughts, he approached her slowly and touched her shoulder gently. She looked at him surprised "I know it is a lot, but…" he said as softly as he could manage.
"Yes… you're right" she answered and he nodded. She headed to her room, quickly finding a duffle bag to pack some of her stuff. She went through her clothes quickly, her hands moving swiftly, her mind replaying the events that had happened in the last hour. Suddenly she realized...
"Li?" her voice came from her bedroom as he gazed at the sword wondering what to do about it.
"Yes?" he said, still trying to figure out how the weapon and its magic worked.
"A moment ago… you called me by my name, didn't you?" his eyes quickly looked in her direction, his hands clumsily let the sword slip and his face turned red. "I felt really happy" she continued not expecting him to answer back "I wondered if I could call you Syaoran, I hoped you'd continue to call me Sakura" he choked, his heart racing and his mind muted, he was staring at her bedroom door when he saw her walk out with a big smile on her face. He just managed to nod and the light in her eyes blinded him.
"Thank you Syaoran!" he audibly gulped. He remembered calling her by her name. It made him happy that she was asking him to call each other by their first names, but the strong emotion he felt at that moment came back and threatened to take over him again. It was like those stories of sailors and sirens, he felt he could toss himself to the ocean just to find her. He shook his head. He couldn't allow his emotions to take over, he needed to keep a cool head and take her somewhere else. "Shall we go?" she said almost singing, he nodded again.
She absentmindedly took the sheets up to her nose. Everything in this room smelled of him. She closed her eyes feeling her heart loud in her chest. She had resisted him when he offered her his bed, she felt guilty that he had to improvise a bed in the ring. She looked around, still amazed that everything was so organized and smiled feeling blood pooling in her cheeks.
She went through all the recent events. Tiredness taking over her body, she closed her eyes feeling the dream world claiming her, her last thought was about the man sleeping outside the room and how good it felt being wrapped up in his arms.
She looked around disheartened.
Her eyes scanned her surroundings again, hoping to suddenly notice anything that could help her escape. The luxurious furniture, the jewelry, the exotic scents in the air and the colorful plants enclosing her. She felt the air thickening and making it harder to breathe.
She looked up; the beautiful, golden cage she was in shined in the sunlight. She felt nauseated. There it was, her only exit to freedom, it seemed so close but so out of reach. She ran her fingers through her wings distractedly.
Flying was not an option, the pain of her last attempt was still fresh on her mind. The protective spell that held her captive was strong. She tried to do a counter spell but she was a healer, she didn't have the skill to break this enchantment. She heard footsteps. That person was here again.
"Your grace" he stated simply while opening the cage and entering with a food tray in his hands. She looked at him angrily, she despised the way he pretended to respect her while she was kept like a caged bird "you know it is important that you take care of yourself" he added upon noticing the expanding pile of food at the corner.
She looked him straight in the eye "for how long are you holding me here?" she said as serenely as she could manage "you're the warlock whose magic keeps me trapped. I've already healed your king and your queen. I don't see why you still keep me here" the dark-haired man looked at her. Staring into her eyes provoked something in him, she could see his aura color turning cold, he seemed sad, ashamed, guilty. Suddenly she felt sympathy for him. He lowered his gaze and she could no longer feel anger towards him. Slowly she approached him and took his hands. His violet eyes widened in surprise. "You're sad" she stated and the warlock displayed a forced smile "I see… I may be the one in a cage, but I'm not the only one that's kept captive here".
"I beg you, your highness. Eat something" she could feel he was genuinely concerned and looked at him tenderly, no words needed to be said, she knew he could understand that she would continue to resist being a caged pet.
"May I know your name?" she asked, he looked around, verifying they were not being heard.
"Yuna D. Kaito" she smiled at him, images in her mind becoming clearer.
"Yuna D. Kaito. Your most important one's safety hangs on a very thin thread. If I ever were to succeed on my escape attempts, she would suffer" she could feel tears pooling in her green eyes. He looked at her pained and bit his lip in remorse, his tongue dry.
"I'm sorry" his voice was shaking, his lips pale with anger "if it weren't for me, they would have never found you…. I was the one that could decipher the myths that led to you, I was the one that spotted you after years of research" his voice grew more and more desperate, his hands shook and his eyes darkened "I should have known… Sirens are such weird creatures, and after the king noticed you had healing magic..." she touched his face and looked tenderly at him, the gesture bringing tears to his eyes and breaking him into sobs.
"You're truly knowledgeable, for your kind and age, young warlock. But I'm not what your people call a siren" he looked at her shocked, his shame replaced only momentarily for curiosity "do you have any idea, Yuna D. Kaito, why I never give my name but I asked yours?".
He shook his head, she dried tears from his face as he cleared his voice "Telling you my name is the least I could do. Asking for yours is something I would never ever dare to" she smiled "but, if I may ask. If you're not a siren, what…" a metallic noise filled the air, she lifted her eyes and saw the guards assigned by the king staring at them intently, their white and blue coats covering their faces. Kaito sighed and looked at her apologetically "please, eat something" he said loud enough so the guards would hear. He looked at her, deciding that he would get her out of there, aware that she could hear her thoughts and therefore his unspoken promise. He understood now that the moment he told her his name he gave her access to his mind and heart. No siren could do that.
"I've heard some of you calling my kind Caladrius" she whispered to him before stirring her wings and flying up to a delicate and luxurious swing from which she could see the sunset. She heard him leave while tears streamed down her face. She saw the reddish tones in the clouds and the golden rays of sun. She had the feeling that she would never see her family again.
She closed her eyes feeling teardrops falling in her lap. She preferred death to a life in captivity.
And escaping seemed most unlikely with every passing day.
Death was knocking at the door.
Syaoran turned his cellphone on and gasped when he saw the voicemail, missed calls report and whatsapp messages. He had vanished for a whole day, a lot of his gym clients had called or tried to reach out, but they could wait a couple more minutes. He had to make a more important phone call.
He dialed the number by heart, he wasn't surprised that he picked up instantly
"Li Syaoran, where the fuck have you been! I've been receiving calls and messages saying that you were nowhere to be found. Kaho has been crying all day while calling hospitals and acquaintances, even Kaito has been driving all over the city trying to find you" Syaoran felt a heaviness taking over him. He considered himself a loner, but the truth was that throughout his life he'd encountered people he cared for and that cared for him too.
"Sorry I worried you, something happened… is happening" there was a dense silence. Syaoran could hear Sakura's voice coming from the bedroom. He remembered her restless sleep while carrying her, "she must be having another nightmare".
"I'm coming over" stated Eriol. He'd been Syaoran's closest friend for years, they were almost like brothers. He knew something serious was happening.
"Please don't, not tonight. I need to think… I need to…" Syaoran couldn't find the words to explain, he didn't know what to say.
"I'll be at your place first thing in the morning. Don't worry about the gym, I'll take care of the mailing and the calls. I'll clear your schedule for the week. Agree?" Syaoran smiled and felt a weight off his shoulders.
"Thanks" Eriol answered back and Syaoran hung up feeling grateful. He didn't know why, but even in this twisted, hard to believe situation, he had the certainty that Eriol would be there for him. He remembered Sakura's voice and decided to check on her before sleeping. He paused in the door, suddenly feeling embarrassed, he could hear her turning in the bed and sobbing, he could hear her mumble in her sleep. He took a deep breath and decided to walk away, each step more difficult than the one before.
"It's for the best" he thought as he turned the lights off. Laying on an improvised bed in the ring, he remembered the sensation of her slender body against his, her warm breath caressing his skin, her pupils dilated and the urgency that overtook him. He felt his face getting hotter, his pulse accelerating and his mouth dry. He fought his desire to go to the room in which she was resting. "I can't" he felt ashamed to admit it, but he didn't trust his self-control around her. It was not that he would disrespect her, he wouldn't dare to "There are more important and urgent things going on" there was no time for silly romantic fantasies.
Every muscle on his body tensed when he heard footsteps in the little staircase that connected the gym to his bedroom. His thoughts interrupted. His heart pounding loud on his ears, his breathing pace spiking.
"Syaoran?" said Sakura in a shaky, teary voice. His eyes searched for her in the dark room and found her in her big loose pajamas lit by the moonlight that entered through the window. He noticed how she was drying her face with her sleeves and her shoulders shook while sobbing. Her pace was cautious, not recognizing the place and probably having difficulty to see with such a dim light. His got to her side as quickly as his feet allowed him to.
Once he was by her side her delicate hands took his shirt tightly, she looked at him with teary eyes before burying her face in his chest.
"Sakura, what's wrong? Are you hurt?" she moved her head in denial but didn't let go of him. He sighed and stroked her head "It's been a long day; you need to rest" she continued to cry and to hold onto him. He lifted her in his arms and started to walk towards the bed. He thought of the cheesy romantic movies that he actually disliked, in which the groom carried his bride on the honeymoon. He shook his head to get the image out of his mind, his inner voice reprimanding him for his out of place daydream. He laid her on the bed, her hands still not letting go of him. He felt powerless, unable to find a way to soothe her and to ease the pain he saw she was feeling.
His hand caressed her hair and remembered how his mom used to hum a lullaby when he had nightmares. He felt a void in his stomach, he had never liked singing in front of others, but he was out of ideas to help her. Shyly he started to hum the warm lullaby. At the sound of his singing voice, she opened her eyes and looked at him, the melody sounded familiar and had a deep soothing effect, she could slowly feel how her loneliness and sorrow were washed away.
Slowly her eyes began to shut, relaxed and exhausted she was slowly falling asleep "stay with me, please" she murmured and he fell silent, taken aback by the request. Her hands didn't show signs of letting him go so he nodded and resumed his singing while slowly laying down.
He finally felt she was deeply asleep, his mind still confused and his body rejoicing in the closeness. He decided there was no use to keep going over fantasies and regrets, so he closed his eyes and centered his attention on her breathing. The pace of it relaxing him. He kissed her on the head and whispered a good night before dozing off.
